Characteristics of Nantgarw and Swansea China.

Nantgarw porcelain is of very fine texture; it has a glassy appearance, and when held up to a strong light, such as an incandescent electric globe, it exhibits a number of small bubbles, like pin-holes, in the body. It is inclined to have the glaze cracked in parts with a network almost like Chinese crackle ware. Some of the thinner pieces will be found to be not quite true, being slightly warped or bent, owing to its uncertainty in the kiln.

Swansea china is frequently decorated with birds, butterflies, and shells, drawn from nature by W. W. Young. Much of it is of a glassy nature like Nantgarw; but later the Swansea ware was of a duller, heavier nature, and having a hard white appearance.

SALE PRICES.

Nantgarw.£s.d.
Plates, seven, painted with birds, bouquetsof flowers in border, all withimpressed mark. Foster, December4, 19029700
Dessert service, each piece painted witha bouquet of flowers in the centre,the borders with raised white scrollspainted with birds and flowers, consistingof centre dish, on foot, foursquare-shaped dishes, two leaf-shapeddishes, seventeen plates, twosmall plates. Christie, January 23,190312820
Plate, painted with border of stippledgold and roses, the centre paintedwith a pastoral landscape, figuresand sheep, exhibited at the 1851Exhibition. De Rome & Son, Kendal,May 13, 190327166
Plates, pair, painted with groups offlowers, in gilt borders, and birds incentre; impressed mark. Sotheby,May 4, 19033300
Plate, the centre with three roses, andthe rim with rose festoons on adotted gold ground, impressedmark. Sotheby, May 17, 19201800
Pair of Plates, painted with flowersand fruit, and the borders mouldedwith scrolls in relief, impressedmark. Christie, July 20, 19202650
Swansea.
Jug, painted with bouquets and wreathsof flowers and gilt, and with a shieldof arms, 10 in. high; and a pair ofplates with a wreath of flowers, impressedmark. Christie, February18, 19021766
Jug, moulded with leaves, and withflowers and butterflies in green andcolours, 103⁄4 in. high. Christie, February5, 1902880
Dessert Service, painted with cornflowersand with gilt edges,consisting of centre dish, on foot;eight oblong, four shell-shaped andfour octagonal dishes; pair ofsugar tureens, covers and stands;thirty plates; eighteen smallplates. Christie, November 21,19026520
Swansea china covered Porringer andSaucer, finely decorated with flowersin natural colours on a dotted goldground. Sotheby, May 17, 19201400
Swansea Dessert Service, painted withnamed flowers with gilt foliage andtrellis work round borders, consistingof pair of sugar-tureens andcovers, four octagonal dishes andtwelve plates. Christie, July 5, 19202540
A pair of Swansea small vases, paintedwith panels of flowers on dark blueground, richly gilt, and with swanhandles, 7 in. high. Christie, July20, 19202210

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